The Family (Film)
The Family (released as Malavita and Cosa Nostra in some countries) is a 2013 comedy crime film directed by Luc Besson, starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, and John D'Leo. The film follows a Mafia family in the Witness Protection Program who want to change their lives. The film is based on the French novel Malavita (Badfellas in the 2010 English translation) by Tonino Benacquista. Plot Mafia Boss Giovanni Manzoni, who offended Don Luchese, a rival mafia boss, survives an attempted hit on him and his family at a barbecue. He snitches on Luchese, which sends Luchese to prison; Manzoni and his family enter an FBI Witness Protection Program under the supervision of Agent Robert Stansfield, and are relocated to a small town in Normandy. In adjusting to life in the village, each family member runs into trouble. Giovanni is being observed by two FBI agents to ensure he doesn't leave his house. Giovanni claims to be an author writing a historical novel on the Normandy landings, which is problematic as many citizens in the area are much more familiar with the event than he is. Giovanni finds ways to slip away and begins a quest to discover why the water in his house is brown. He beats a plumber who tries to shake him down for money to unnecessarily change all the pipes in his house, and a local fertilizer factory owner who interrupts him while he is talking. Daughter Belle falls in love with Henri, a college student working as a substitute math teacher. She pretends to need private math lessons so she can get time alone with him and she eventually seduces him. Giovanni's wife, Maggie, blows up a small grocery store when its owner spews anti-American comments in French to the other customers and often visits the undercover FBI agents. She spends a lot of time at the church, where she and the local priest have an amicable relationship. Their friendship ends when she confesses the numerous crimes her family has committed and he tells her never to come back. On the first day of class at the local school, Warren, Giovanni's son, is beaten up by a small gang, but he digs up information and uses it to gain favor with the most influential students, creating a mini-mafia within the school. This sway allows him to beat up the gang. He inadvertently alerts Don Luchese to their location when he quotes one of the kingpin's sayings in a school paper, which makes its way back to Luchese through a series of chance events. Giovanni is asked to attend an American film event due to his supposed historical expertise and he brings Agent Stansfield along, claiming to want to bond with him, but it's an alibi for a timed explosive he has rigged to destroy the structure causing his brown water. The film screening takes an unexpected turn when instead of Some Came Running, the scheduled film, they watch Goodfellas. Throughout the film, Giovanni expresses a desire to talk about his life as a mobster, seemingly expressing some guilt. The debate after the film prompts him to tell his story to the audience. Feeling his cover has been compromised, Agent Stansfield gives an order to relocate the family again. Meanwhile, the school detects Warren's activities so he decides to leave town with a fake passport, afraid that the FBI will drop the family's protection. At the train station, he sees seven hitmen arrive and head for the town. He returns home to warn the family. Henri breaks up with Belle, which causes her to contemplate suicide, but she stops when she sees the hitmen enter the police station and kill several officers. As Giovanni returns home, Maggie arrives outside and notices the team of hitmen, who have already killed firemen and who have proceeded to kill their neighbours. She takes cover in the FBI safe-house across the street. The hitmen blow up the family's house and soon an intense gunfight ensues which involves all family members. Giovanni and Maggie strangle and stab a hitman after he raids the safe-house and tries to sexually assault Maggie. Belle kills a hitman who went to look for weapons in his car's trunk. Using weapons she found in the trunk, she shoots one of the five hitmen near the burning house. Warren also takes guns from the trunk of the car and shoots two of the hitmen while being given cover fire by Belle. One hitman is killed by the family dog. While chasing Belle, the lead hitman is killed by Stansfield's car. The family relocates again. Despite numerous innocent townspeople being slaughtered, Giovanni expresses his happiness at having had the chance to tell his story, saying that it brought the family closer. Cast * Robert De Niro as Fred Blake/Giovanni Manzoni, the father. * Michelle Pfeiffer as Maggie Blake/Maggie Manzoni, the mother. * Dianna Agron as Belle Blake/Belle Manzoni, the daughter. * John D'Leo as Warren Blake/Warren Manzoni, the son. * Tommy Lee Jones as Robert Stansfield, the FBI agent. * Jimmy Palumbo as Di Cicco * Domenick Lombardozzi as Caputo * Stan Carp as Don Luchese * Vincent Pastore as Fat Willy * Jonas Bloquet as André * Jon Freda as Rocco * Michael J. Panichelli Jr. as Billy the Bug * Paul Borghese as Albert * Anthony Desio as Bernie * Ted Arcidi as Tommy * David Belle as Mezzo * Oisín Stack as Henri Category:Movies Category:Comedy films Category:2013 films Category:Films about fictional mobsters